Banish That Pain In The Butt: If You Have Sciatica, A Chiropractor Can Help

If you suffer from sciatic nerve pain, it's time to seek out relief. Pain that extends from the lower back and buttock along to the back of the leg is the result of a common ailment known as sciatica. For some, the pain can be debilitating. In others, the pain is an occasional occurrence that is ignored and dismissed as a nuisance pain. Sciatica has the potential to worsen, however. Find out what causes sciatica and how chiropractic care can help to quell your pain.

What Causes Sciatica?

Your sciatic nerve is a large nerve that runs along each side of your lower spinal column and continues down the back of each buttock and leg. Sciatica is the occurrence of pain and inflammation that radiates along your sciatic nerve. This type of pain is known as a radiating pain or a neuropathy. Sciatica is the result of compression of the sciatic nerve. One cause of this nerve compression is piriformis syndrome. Other causes of nerve compression include the following:

Herniated discs

Lumbar spine subluxations

Lumbar spinal stenosis

Degenerative disc disease

Spondylolisthesis

Diabetes

Pregnancy

Tumors

Sciatic nerve pain can be aggravated in some individuals by wearing high heels, driving for long commutes, being overweight or obese, being constipated, and exercising infrequently.

What Does Sciatica Feel Like?

Sciatic nerve pain generally occurs on one side of the body. The pain ranges in intensity from a dull ache to a sharp stab. Other sensations, such as tingling, burning, and numbness, may be experienced. You may have sciatica if you experience any of the following signs:

You feel the pain in one buttock that extends to the back of your thigh.

The pain is worse when sitting down.

You feel pain in your lower back on one side or in one hip.

You feel weakness or numbness in the affected leg when you try to move it or walk.

You feel the pain when you try to stand up.

If you suspect that you have sciatica, schedule an appointment with your chiropractor to get the ball rolling on a definitive diagnosis and pursuit of treatment. If your pain gets progressively worse to the point that you experience numbness in your thighs, become unable to walk, or lose control of your bladder or bowel, seek medical attention at once.

Can Chiropractic Care Relieve Sciatic Nerve Pain?

Since there are several conditions that cause sciatica, it is essential to pursue a definitive diagnosis of the cause before your chiropractor can initiate treatment. Radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, and nerve conduction velocity electromyography tests are all screening methods that are used for diagnosing the cause of sciatica. In cases where chiropractic care can be helpful in relieving your discomfort, the following noninvasive forms of treatment may be implemented to reduce painful inflammation and muscle spasms:

Your chiropractor will also perform spinal adjustment manipulation to improve the restricted movement of your spinal column. By replacing the vertebrae back into their proper alignment, irritation and pressure on the nerve is relieved.

Will Chiropractic Treatment Cure Sciatica?

If the cause of your sciatica is structural, as in a misalignment in your vertebral column, spinal adjustments can provide longterm relief. Each patient is an individual and responds in his or her own way to treatment. Your chiropractor will determine a schedule of office visits. He or she will likely provide instruction for home care as well, such as maintaining therapeutic posture during daily activities, stretching, and performing exercises to help keep your spine in line.

If you have been enduring sciatica, don't wait any longer to seek relief. Visit a local chiropractic clinic near you, such as Citrus Chiropractic Group. In severe cases, surgery may become necessary or permanent nerve damage may set in. Medications and steroid injections are not without risks, and they only provide temporary relief. Chiropractic care provides a natural alternative to help your body heal itself so that you can get on with a pain-free quality of life.

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18 January 2017

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When was the last time you went to an optometrist? If you are like most people, you only go when your glasses break or you run out of contact lenses. Very few people actually follow the guidelines of having their eyes checked each year. Not sure why it is necessary to visit your optometrist each year? You can learn all about the different exams and tests that your optometrist runs and why they are done. Knowing what can go wrong with your eyes and what can be done if the ailments are detected early could help to encourage you to get to the optometrist more often.